Bahrain in 2011

Area:

757 sq km (292 sq mi)

Population

(2011 est.): 1,325,000

Capital:

Manama

Head of state:

King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah

Head of government:

Prime Minister Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah

At a demonstration march in Al-Rifaʿ, Bahrain, on March 11, 2011, antigovernment protesters attempt to evade tear gas sprayed by riot police.Isa Ebrahim—UPI/LandovFollowing the example of popular uprisings in other Arab countries in 2011, the BahrainiShiʿite opposition, comprising some 60% of the population, rose up against the Sunni-led regime on February 14. Demonstrators’ demands ranged from fundamental constitutional reforms to the downfall of the monarchy. This unrest was met by a violent reaction from the government that tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress the demonstrations, and Shiʿite protesters continued to occupy the main square of the capital, Manama. In the face of intransigence, the Bahraini government declared martial law on March 15 and asked for military help from Saudi Arabia and other Arab Gulf countries. The Saudis responded swiftly, sending 1,000 soldiers to Bahrain; the United Arab Emirates sent 500 policemen, and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries added token military forces. Using live ammunition, these combined forces cleared the square and the main streets in Manama of protesters, but sporadic clashes with demonstrators continued in Shiʿite villages. The unrest left at least 33 people dead and hundreds wounded or in prison.

Confident that it had quelled the rebellion and under pressure from the U.S., the Bahraini government lifted martial law on June 1 and called for a dialogue with Shiʿite leaders. In July, Shiʿite politicians walked out of government-led reconciliation talks, claiming that key issues had not been addressed. The main Shiʿite political group, al-Wifaq (Accord), announced that it would boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections called to replace the 18 al-Wifaq deputies who had resigned during the crisis. Following a runoff election on October 1, the number of Shiʿite deputies in the parliament was reduced to 8 out of a total of 40. All were pro-government.

The unrest also polarized Bahraini society between Sunnis and Shiʿites to an unprecedented degree. International human rights organizations strongly condemned the killings, imprisonment, and torture of the Shiʿite protesters by the Bahraini government.